Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-nanocrystalline cellulose (CTAB-NCC) based microemulsions for enhancement of topical delivery of curcumin.

Low bioavailability and poor water solubility have limited the utilization of curcumin in conventional dosing methods. As an alternative, microemulsions as drug carrier can improve curcumin delivery. A cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-nanocrystalline cellulose (CTAB-NCC)-based microemulsion was developed and its potential use as a topical delivery method for curcumin was investigated.

Gamma Irradiation-Assisted Synthesis of Cellulose Nanocrystal-Reinforced Gelatin Hydrogels.

Herein, we describe the use of gamma irradiation to prepare hydrogels comprising α-cellulose and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-reinforced gelatin in the absence of crosslinking agents. In this study, cellulose was extracted from rice husks by an alkali and bleaching treatment followed by acid hydrolysis to produce CNC. A semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) of hydrogels was developed by the miscibility between gelatin and cellulosic materials.

Hydrophobic kenaf nanocrystalline cellulose for the binding of curcumin.

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) extracted from lignocellulosic materials has been actively investigated as a drug delivery excipients due to its large surface area, high aspect ratio, and biodegradability. In this study, the hydrophobically modified NCC was used as a drug delivery excipient of hydrophobic drug curcumin. The modification of NCC with a cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was used to modulate the loading of hydrophobic drugs that would not normally bind to NCC.

Efficient manual Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of the N-terminal segment of surfactant protein B (SP-B(1-25)).

The N-terminal 25 residue segment of human surfactant protein B (SP-B(1-25)) was synthesised in 26% yield by manual Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc SPPS) using low-loading Fmoc-Gly-Wang resin. Substantial oxidation of Met(21) occurred during the synthesis, and the addition of Bu(4)NBr to a TFA/water/EDT/TIS cleavage cocktail enabled facile reduction of Met(O)(21)-SP-B(1-25) to SP-B(1-25). The methods described herein are generally applicable to the Fmoc SPPS of difficult sequences containing methionine.